William d



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. W. D. GRAY.

MACHINE FOR THEGRADUAL REDUCTION OF GRAIN. No. 283,339. Patented Aug. 14, 1883.

5 lrff n' l 'li i ip ,mliii I (No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

W. D. GRAY.

MAGHINE FOR THE GRADUAL REDUCTION OF GRAIN.

No. 283,339. Patented Aug. .14, 1883.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. D. GRAY.

MAGH'INE ROB THE GRADUAL REDUCTION OF GRAIN. No. 283,339. Patented Aug. 14, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAM D. GRAY, OF MILYVAUKEE, IVISCONSIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,339, dated August 14, 1883.

Application filed January '21, 188 1. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,-WILLIAM D. GRAY, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for the Gradual Be duction of Grain, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists in an organized machine for carrying out what is ordinarilyknown 1n the art as the system of gradual reduction of wheat by the employment of rolls in connection with screens; and the object of the invention is to producea machinewhich shall be exceedingly simple and compact in construction.

Referring to the. accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my machine; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section through the center of the same; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of the same with one side in section.

Referring to' the drawings, A represents a rigid main frame, intended and adapted to support the various transverse shafts and other moving parts of the machine. .In the upper part of this frame I mounta pair of horizontal reducing-rollers, B. B, which may be of any ordinary or suitable construction. Above.

these rolls I mount, in an ordinary manner, a feed-hopper, F, and a'feed-roll, G. The roll B is sustained and made adjustable by means substantially the same as those represented in Letters Patent No. 222,895. granted to me December 23, 187 9. The roll is supported in swinging arms D, pivoted at their lower ends, and connected at their upper ends with the adjusting rods I), these rods being connected at one end with thearms by means of nuts 0 and (Z and intermediatesprings, and being connected at the opposite end'with eccentrics e, which admit of the rods being readily released and thrown back when the roll 13 is to be thrown out'of action. In the lower portion of the frame, at a considerable distance from the upper rolls, I mount a second and corresponding pair of rolls, 0 G, mounted and controlled in like manner, the arm f being connected with the eccentric for throwing the rolls out of action. This armj" is connected by a rod, E, with the corresponding arm, f, which operates the eccentric to throw the upper roll 13 out of action, so that the attendant, by moving the bar E endwise, may instantly throw both sets of rolls into or out of action simultaneously. This connection is an important feature of my machine, for the reason that will hereinafter appear. The second or lower set of rolls are fed by material from the first, so that the connection of the two pairs, as described, prevents the passage of unground material to the lower rolls, or of the lower rolls running against each other, in the event of the upper rolls being stopped, so as to stop the flow of material of the lower rolls.

Within the frame of the machine I mount two reciprocating inclined screens, H and I, one'above the other, connected rigidly with each other by means of vertical side plates, The screens are suspended by means of links K,'piv0ted to the main frame and to the end of the screens, as shown.

In order to give extended wearing-surfaces, and to aid in preventing the screens from los-' iug their proper form, the links are made with long sleeves to receive the pivots, and these pivots are formed by passing shaft N transversely through the screens from side to side and mounting the sleeves upon the protruding ends, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

. The upper screen, H, is provided with a perforated sheet-metal screening-surface, h, extending from a point beneath the upper rolls to a point above the lower rolls, and is also provided with an inclined conducting board or plate, 1', which serves to conduct the tail of the machine, away from the lower rolls. The lower screen is provided with a perforated sheet-metal screening-plate, k, inclined downward from a point beneath the lower rolls to the tail of the machine, and is also provided, beneath the said plate, with an imperforatc conductingplate, Z, also inclining to the, tail of the machine. a

The grain, being placed in the hopper F, is

(lacing-rolls, B B, which break and partially the upper screening-surface, 7.2 which permits the fine flour and the middlings set free by the material screened through the surface it to the delivered by the feed-roll G to the upper rereduce the grain and deliver the same upon IOO action of the rolls to pass through to the condesigned to act upon the screens ducting-board i, while the clean coarse material, commonly denominated the break is carried downward upon the surface h and delivered to the lower rolls, G, for further reduction. The rolls 0 O, which are set closer than the upper rolls, acting upon the break, further reduce the same and set free a large proportion of middlings and a small amount of flour. From the rolls 0 G the material falls upon the screen-surface 7a, through which all the free flour and middlings pass to the conducting-plate I, while the clean coarser material passes over the tail of the screen.

The tailings from the two screens may be spouted to the front of the machine and again introduced between the rolls, or reduced by means of a second machine, or otherwise, as maybe preferred. As before stated, the screening-surfaces are preferably composed of perforated sheet metal. This metal should be made as smooth as possible upon the upper surface, with special reference to its offering the least possible resistance to the passage of the material downward over this surface, and in this connection the use of the sheet metal for the treatment of the wheat-break forms a desirable feature.

The reciprocation of the screens is effected by means of rods m, actuated by eccentrics o, mounted on a cross-shaft, 0, set in bearings in the main frame. The'rodsm are passed through and secured by adjusting nuts to metal sleeves g, which are seated. and have a long bearing upon a cross-shaft, 9', extended through the connecting-plates g of the screens.

By giving the sleeves q a long bearing upon the shaftr, extending the latter through the screen from side to side, and giving the rods an a long bearing in the sleeves at right angles to the shaft 0', the screens are braced and prevented from twisting or losing their form, and

are. caused to move forward and back without lateral vibration.

For the purpose of keeping the meshes or openings of the screen clear and free from obstruction, I make use of a knocker sustained by a spring in such mannerthat being once set in motion it continues to vibrate rapidly under the action of the spring and strike repeated blows upon the screen. The connection of this striker or knocker with this spring in such manner that it may vibrate freely under the action of the spring constitutes an essential feature of my invention, and is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, the plan represented in the drawings being considered the most simple and desirable for ordinary uses.

M represents a vertical rod passing through the screens and arranged to move up and down freely, its upper end being attached to one end of a spring-arm, M, secured to the main frame. The rod is provided, as shown, with collars a,

and impart a vibration thereto.

In order to permit the longitudinal reciprocation of the screens, the upper screen and the return-board thereunder are provided with elongated slots, through which the strikingrod passes, and in order to prevent the grain from passing downward through these slots the flanges c are raised around their edges, as indicated in the drawings.

When the parts are at rest the rod is sustained in position as represented in the drawings, with its collars out of contact with the screens, but being set in motion the spring continues its vibration and causes the collars to strike repeatedly upon the screens.

A transverse shaft, 0, passing through the frame is provided with a tappet or arm, 0, which acts upon a collar, 20, on the knockershaft, for the purpose of elevating the same against the action of the spring. As the tappet releases the rod the spring depresses the same and causes the collars to strike upon the screen, and so on repeatedly, the knocker striking rapidly and successively upon the screen, and finally coming to rest in the position indicated above, and out of contact with the screen. In order to prevent the material upon the screen from flowing down through the slot made to receive the knocker, a flange, c, is turned upward from the screen around said opening. As shown in the drawings, the body of the machine is closed on allsidesto confine the dust, and is provided with various windows and doors, through which the interior may be viewed and .access gained thereto.

I am aware that a knocker-frame provided with numerous spiral springs bearing constantly upon the upper surfaces of the screen has been subjected to blows from a weight or hammer, and this I do not claim.

The present invention is restricted to those matters and things which are hereinafter specifically claimed, and as to all matters which may be described or shown, but which are not claimed, the right is reserved to make the same the subject of a separate application.

Having thus described my invention, whatv the shaft 1', extending through the screen from side to side and provided with the sleeves q on its ends.

2. In combination with the reciprocating slotted screen, the vertical knocker-rod pass,v

said knocker normally out of contact with the 2s3,3a9 n screen, and an intermittingly-aeting device, er-rod, the screen, provided with a slot to re-- substantially as described, which moves and ceive the same, and with the upturned lip 0', IO then releases the knocker, leaving the same to prevent the passage of material through free to vibrate under theaction of the spring. said slot.

4. The combination of the screen, the verti- YVILLIAH D. GRAY. cal knocker-rod N, the spring attached to the WVi-tnesses: rod, and the com or teppet v. R. BIRKHOLZ,

V CHAS. WALDO.

5. In combination with the "ertica-l knock- 

